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Ever wondered how global superstar DJs put on a set? I’m sure some would respond with “they pop on a CD and jesus pose for an hour”, and frankly you’d be correct for some household names. But not Paul Van Dyk, who very graciously gave backstage access to Vestax UK over a 2 year period. The result is an 8 minute snapshot of the man, the DJ and the performer.
It’s clear that the DJ moniker is a constantly moving target these days. While we can class Paul Van Dyk as a DJ in some respects, for me this is much more about a performance. Essentially, he’s got his discography set up in Ableton Live, and supported by a plethora of hardware, he can put it out to the audience any way he pleases. Because he knows his own creations, he’s free to mix it up any way he pleased. The crowd might not be feeling his vibe, so he’s free to change the mood at the press of a button. It’s also cool that he’s playing the hooks rather than just triggering them.
What’s also interesting is how he’s controlling the visuals as well, and is also tightly linked with a dedicated team for arenas. Many DJs see video as playing videos back to back just like tracks, but Paul Van Dyk uses video visuals to supplement the performance. As he says, if you hear the bang, you want to see the bang. There’s nothing quite like the sky lighting up when the drop hits.
Well done Vestax UK. I found this video to be incredibly helpful in giving insight into how an artist who is perceived as a DJ is actually much more than that. Good work!